You may think that you're doing your job to the best of your ability, but every employee has strengths and weaknesses. Professional feedback affirms your strengths, reveals your weaknesses, helps you maximum your potential and improves your chances for career growth. If your supervisor is too busy or uninterested in giving you a review, try these tips as you get the feedback you deserve.
Perform a Self Review
You definitely want feedback from your supervisor, but evaluate yourself first. Be honest about your skills, capabilities, areas in which you excel and areas that require improvement. If possible, ask your co-workers for input into your job performance, too.
Prepare a Performance Review Document
Prepare for your feedback review when you create a performance review document. It lists three to five job objectives upon which you would like your feedback review to be based. As an example, if you work in sales, ask your supervisor to evaluate your appearance, ability to build rapport with clients and success at follow-up.
Ask for a Review
Now that you have your performance review document, you're ready to approach your supervisor and ask for a review. Mention that you want to improve your job performance and ensure you remain a valuable team player. Remember that you can ask for a review whether you've worked in your current position for several weeks or several years.
Be Ready to Accept Criticism
Even though you asked for the review, you may not be prepared to hear what your supervisor has to say. Prepare yourself before the review meeting to accept criticism no matter what it may be. An open attitude shows that you are truly committed to making the changes that will improve your job performance.
Commit to Change
It's easy to ask for feedback and then dismiss it without acting on it. Show your supervisor that you are truly motivated to change when you ask for a follow-up meeting and take his or her feedback to heart. Continue to practice your strengths, and for each weakness listed, create steps that help you achieve the requested changes. Discuss your progress during your follow-up meeting.
Ask for a Review at Least Annually
Now that you've had your first in-depth performance review, write a reminder to schedule another review at least once a year or more often if necessary. Your job performance and career future will improve as you request, accept and implement the feedback you receive.
Your job performance and future career path depend on you honing your professional skills now. Use these tips to get an in-depth performance review that identifies your strengths and weaknesses as you improve your professional capabilities.